Getting Started - Learning Centre - Workbooks

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The Workbook

This section provides more help focused information on how to create a program plan. It is a workbook comprised of two different sections, Planning Workbook Online and the Online Business Case Creator Workbook.

This workbook explains
what each step is about, why it is important and how to complete it. Examples,
supplementary resources and tips will help health promotion practitioners to
understand and apply the planning process.

What is planning?

Planning, which includes strategic,
program and operational planning, involves a series of decisions based on collecting
and analyzing a wide range of information. The workbook will describe these
various types in more detail, with the bulk of the discussion focusing on
program planning.

A six step planning model is used as a framework for the Planning Workbook Online

​The model begins with step
1, managing the planning process. That means addressing how key stakeholders
will work together to make decisions, based on good data-gathering and
analysis, within the constraints of time, budget and other resources.

Step 2, involves conducting
a situational assessment, a multifaceted process that basically addresses this
question: “Should we proceed, and if so, how?”

Step 6 is a review of
the proposed program to see if it is feasible and evaluable. We suggest using a
logic model to do this.

Evaluation is a
concurrent process within program planning and development. Consider it at each
of the planning steps.

We recognize that in
practice, program planning is often a dynamic process. However, the step model
is useful for identifying and describing discrete aspects of program planning. We
have arranged the steps in an order that flows logically, and that may be
useful in developing a planning group’s work plan. The steps are all
interrelated; the actual process may be less linear than depicted. For example,
earlier steps may be revised as new experiences and insights emerge in later
steps.

Online BusinessCaseCreatorWorkbook

The Online Business CaseCreatorWorkbook is an online, interactive tool designed to help public health practitioners make a compelling case for why to proceed (or not proceed) with a particular project. The OBCC applies a three-step model to help practitioners develop their business case.​ Use the left side menu to further explore this tool.

The Health Promotion Capacity
Building (HPCB) team at PHO has recently increased its commitment to providing
products and services to address the topic of health equity. The intent is to
support the integration of practices and activities which promote health equity
into public health program planning, implementation and evaluation. Our focus
includes building health equity capacity within our own organization. For this
reason, the HPCB team has begun this process within PHO to arrive at a common
understanding of how to discuss issues of health equity. It is important to keep aspects of health equity in mind during the program planning steps.

A proposed framework for 'program planning with a health equity lens' is outlined here. Essentially, PHO's six step for program planning steps are considered together with the 5 steps for conducting a Health Equity Impact Assessment (HEIA). The 5 steps for conducting an HEIA come from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Cares HEIA workbook​, designed to assist organizations and health service providers on how to conduct an HEIA.

PHO's six steps for program planning and the 5 steps for conducting an HEIA ​